Redevelopment & Restoration of Chairman's Arch, Cathedral Square, Co. Waterford, Ireland

The Chairman’s Arch Redevelopment & Restoration Project represents a successful Part 8 Development, which both structurally rehabilitates the heart of the Viking Triangle (the historic centre of Waterford, with site history dating from 914AD) that benefits the social and historical fabric of its environs - in addition to the repopulation of a derelict area of the City, and much needed Social Housing provisions, and retail and tourist units.

The development site is located within a Zone of Archaeological Potential in Waterford City, in addition to itself encompassing a number of renovations to existing, protected, structures. The challenges were appropriately met by CJFA + Design Team, to offer a unique, and vivid, yet sympathetic, contrast between old and new provides for 11x dwelling units + 1x commercial/tourist space, including: 1x three-bedroom dwelling in a refurbished two-storey Protected Structure at no.8 Chairman’s Arch; 4x single-bedroom dwelling units on the upper floors + 1 by tourist/commercial space on ground floor in refurbished three-storey (re-combined) Protected Structure(s) at no.s 1 & 2 Cathedral Square; 6x new two-bedroom dwelling units adjacent to no.8 Chairman’s Arch Waterford in a three-storey new-build structure.

The modern build element of the project creates new dwellings on a previously underused plot of land - which mixes contemporary design, with hints of traditional street architecture. This includes a white façade with polished stone surrounds, glazed canopies, and brightly coloured doors – which subtly introduce modern elements to the area. Stone paving in the Chairman’s Arch laneway matches that used in the Public Realm work which has recently taken place in the adjacent Cathedral Square tourist district development and surrounds – itself a sympathetic redevelopment of an area of historical and archaeological importance.